Amos Yohanna has been sworn in by the Nigerian Senate as the new Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.
Yohanna replaces Elisha Abbo who was sacked by the Appeal Court last week Monday.
He was sworn in by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau at Wednesday’s plenary.
Yohanna is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Abbo, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recall that Elisha, a senator who was once enmeshed in the sex toy controversy, was removed by the three-member panel of the court presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme
The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as the duly elected lawmaker representing the area in the National Assembly.
The earlier tribunal verdict that affirmed Abbo as winner was vacated by the appellate court.
Abbo was declared the winner of the senatorial district election, however, Yohanna, who was aggrieved with the Electoral umpire’s decision, approached the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the poll.
But, the tribunal in its ruling, dismissed Yohanna’s petition because “it lacked merit.”
Yohanna, not satisfied, approached the Appeal Court through his counsel, Johnson Usman.
After it listened to arguments from the parties, the appeal court agreed with Usman that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court, thereafter, deducted the invalid votes from both parties and found that Yohanna and the PDP won the election by a majority of lawful votes.
In the wake of the judgment, Senator Abbo described it as a coup on democracy but told his supporters to be calm.
He accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of being behind the judgement that removed him.
